What Are You Listening to RIGHT NOW? Version 13

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January 16, 2017 - 8:58am

2,834 replies

marye

Joined:
May 26, 2007

New year, new update. Tell us of your musical adventures in real time!

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October 22, 2024 - 6:23am

#131

Dennis

Joined:
November 1, 2012

Uncle Trip and 7/4/86

I was there, I recognized the t-shirt Jerry is wearing :-)

Second set opened with a great Cold Rain & Snow intro that stretch until the first raindrops started down, then, "I married me a wife.....", and the cold rain poured down!

And poor Dennis in only a t-shirt!
October 22, 2024 - 4:38am

#132

uncle_tripel

Joined:
October 2, 2023

a day on the green...

...with some unbelievable dry sunny weather
(82 degrees in these parts) in the mid-atlantic for late october,
I'm putting on my boogin' shoes for
oakland coliseum
june 8th 1974

can hardly wait to get started...

PEACE for ALL!
uncle_tripel
October 21, 2024 - 8:51am

#133

Oroborous

Joined:
June 19, 2007

The sound

Of thick air...
October 21, 2024 - 8:51am

#134

Oroborous

Joined:
June 19, 2007

The sound

Of thick air...
October 21, 2024 - 7:06am

#135

uncle_tripel

Joined:
October 2, 2023

always...

...avoided the NR on recording
and found very early the highs just got too muted for my ear,

returning to some more 1978 this week:
june 4th 1978
at Campus Stadium, UCSB in Santa Barbara, Ca

some more friends of the devils? lol...
...= the "on stage" harley davidson acceleration into--->NFA

make LOVE, not war!

PEACE!
uncle_tripel

PS: new avatar = mickey & jerry on 7/4/86 @ Rich Stadium
October 17, 2024 - 7:34pm

#136

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

Noise Reduction and...

I used Dolby for a brief blink of an eye when I first started copying tapes. Being young and naive, I thought who wants tape noise to come through on the recording, duh.. no brainer, I flipped the Dolby switch on my Nak and hit record. I just want to hear the music, no hiss.

Very quickly reality set in. Was it Dolby A or Dolby B? Was the source tape recording using Dolby, if so, if you hit Dolby wouldn't it further compress the recording and further alter the sound, you can't play back using Dolby Squared, right? And what do you do in the car, in the boom box (yes.. we were just a few years out of 8 tracks when I started getting tapes). And who really flips or unflips the Dolby switch anyway based on how you think the recording was made. After all, were all these tapes properly notated every step of the way.

So I quickly gave up on noise reduction, I had a good enough tape deck that I shouldn't be so worried about tape noise. I quit Dolby and never looked back (and never worried about pressing the Dolby button again).

Just spit balling here, but my prejudices sometimes come to the surface when I hear a Dicks or Daves or Road Trips that sounds a bit muffled and I wonder if the particular Reel or Cassette or Betamax or whatever might have had a Dolby snafu baked in. To be clear, I have no proof this has ever occurred, I just wonder sometimes.

I should emphasize Jeffrey Norman / David Glasser, etc. have gotten better at their jobs. So if there is any compression or noise reduction used anywhere along the way, they better at making this music sound as good as it possibly can, regardless of the sordid history of the source tapes. Thank you GD, Mockingbird Studios, the good folks and Plangent Processing and all the others that get this music to my front porch. Oh, and thank you tapers too!
October 17, 2024 - 3:54pm

#137

Oroborous

Joined:
June 19, 2007

Ooops, forgot

I can’t say for sure off hand about everyone who recorded Dead and NR, but Betty was known for not using it, and if things are done right, no need.
Nothing comes for free, so every time you do something, it will effect other things, sometimes negatively…a cost benefit trade off…perhaps just like BITD with high gen cassettes? To Dolby or not to Dolby, that is the question lol
I always have tried not to do any permanent adjustments/fixes, preferring to try and fix some other way, eq etc, but nothing permanent that you can’t fix yer fix!

Imho NR etc becomes more of a band aid for when things weren’t able to be right, or to help mask issues beyond repair, i.e., the ravages of time.
Don’t think I’ve ever used any on a master recording?

Onto rest of GDM soundtrack this afternoon…
October 17, 2024 - 1:16pm

#138

1stshow70878

Joined:
September 11, 2014

Thx Oro

So 15 ips or 30 ips would have been impractical for shows I imagine. Expense, changing reels too often, and as these were for listening by the band not studio use, etc. But what about them using noise reduction? I'm guessing no Dolby.
As an aside, I seldom have my Dolby on when listening to cassettes even though most were recorded with it. Even factory tapes with Dolby seem less muffled without it and I'm not listening at thunderous levels (most of the time) where hiss is an issue.
Skylabs, a top notch mid-western audio repairer, no longer works on certain categories of equipment: Consoles, quad receivers, linear tracking turntables, automatic turntables, and reel to reels. Just not worth it from a cost perspective for what those machines sell for vs. repair costs. There are still plenty of specialists who will and R-to-Rs are available restored at very reasonable prices but good luck finding pre-recorded tapes (old or new). Nobody makes them anymore. I was never tempted but my cassette guy sells tons of R-to-Rs for like $200-$300 fully restored, but they are more run of the mill Sony and not high end. And they sell fast!
Thanks again and cheers bro
October 17, 2024 - 12:37pm

#139

Oroborous

Joined:
June 19, 2007

First half of GDM soundtrack

Ist show. The more surface area (wider the tape), and/or the faster the recording speed, the higher the resolution. And yes R2R can most certainly sound best. (Like anything though, if done well)
The problem is a good one is very expensive, they’re as hard to keep maintained etc as a TT, and good linage quality tapes are rare and expensive, oh, and more a pain to “flip” than even a record…but they can sound amazing!

Remember, many CDs AND most vinyl are sourced from (hopefully) master R2R tapes! A purist with the gear and ears might argue that direct to (vinyl) disc recording is the ultimate…but good luck lol
One of the main reasons digital still gets such a bad rap is twofold
1- the conversion used originally, and lack of attention to disparity’s between different DACs in the chain. Conversion has come a loonnggg way baby! AND…
2- a significant number of the CDs first produced to meet the huge demand were not sourced from the master tapes, and lineage and source quality were often a joke! Caveat emptor: not all CDs are created alike!…or Blu-ray’s, or DVDs, or Vinyl etc Like drugs boys and girls, know your sources!
October 17, 2024 - 12:06pm

#140

1stshow70878

Joined:
September 11, 2014

4-11-78

5th show in the box.
OK, now were getting there.
Great 1st set.
2nd set list looks good too.
Moving right along...
Cheers

Random ?s for the tapers and the knowledgeable. Were these original tapes running at 7.5 ips on reel to reels and were they done with any Dolby or whatever? And do you audience tapers use any noise reduction? Been talking to an analog guy who says with reel to reel running fast you get superior saturation and the best analog sound of all, which to his ear beats CDs and even vinyl, and Dolby is unnecessary for good reel to reel recordings.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Currently Listening To...

New year, new update. Tell us of your musical adventures in real time!

RE 12/30/69 DS

Yeah PF it’s a shame the DS etc is chopped up.
Really enjoyed this one, especially that DS was way cool then…ugh
Be great if this was a banana box baby…

Not sure what to hit today?
Maybe start on the last 11 from 94, then next week maybe that E90 tour?
I know I dug the previous fall 90 shows, and PFs been digging the E tour, so I might sneak that in for extra credit lol
But first “she left my fat ass there by side of the road”
It’s walk me out in the mornin walk my honey…

11/29/94

it is…decent aud, sweet Jack to open, ok first, now into Hey Now, hey now lol
Edit: yowsa! Great second set, but the PITB Jam into UJB, THAT is why I listen to these other years! 1stshow, we’re you at these?

Onto 11/30/94

2-18-71 Capitol Theatre

from American Beauty 50th

love the Skull & Roses era sound with the Rick Turner Peanut

Yes Oro

The end years still had some good parts.

11-14-71% anniversary

Playing it now.

6/21/85 Alpine Valley

From Set II - sequence of Estimated > Eyes > D/S > Trucking > Black Peter > Around > Sugar Magnolia E: Baby Blue

IWT. Space > Trucking > Black Peter were 30 Days contest for 11/10. Ages since I'd listened to this show and thought I'd circle back. Set I a little rough in places. Set II was a blast, a sweet sweet summer evening > night, lot of weather in the area, remember the wind hinting at rain during Eyes and it was just perfect. Excellent drumzspace - love(d) the marimba. Heavens opened up either during Baby Blue or just as it it finished. Buckets of rain, cats and dogs pouring from the sky. Somehow, soaked to the bone, we all found each other afterwards once the storm passed. Oh yeah - forgot to mention that Set II opened with a touch of the Twilight Zone(!!) > Women are Smarter > Going Down The Road

12/7/68 Bellarmine College Louisville KY

Fresh Jam of the Week and this Dark Star is beautiful! Felt like I was dropped into an ancient, mythical land. A great way to start this Friday morning.

Edit - and on to the whole show. what we have is amazing. New Potato!!

12/1/94

Ok, but the first night was da shizzle…

and onto
12/8/94

2/21/71 Capitol Theatre

from Workingman's 50th

5/12/77 Auditorium Theatre

Terrapin > Playing > Drums > Not Fade Away > Comes A Time > Playing.
E: Johnny B Goode

out of this world - beautiful. A favorite sequence from Spring '77 and just in general.

Earlier a DH friend stopped by unexpected. He hasn't really been purchasing archival releases over the last few years. Whipped up some dinner and we listened to 4/16/78 Huntington WV. It was awesome (both dinner and the music) and now he's gonna buy the Friend of the Devils box.

Yesterday

12/9&11/94

First meh, second show had a great set list but the playing was inconsistent.
Of course there is that sweet Days Between Dave ended up using…

Currently listening to

Buffalo 9th of May 1977, the day after the Cornell show, & some say it's even better.
There are practically no tracks in common, so it's good to hear both of them.
I recorded Buffalo to my computer from Archive, but I find it strange that there's no released separate copy. The bundled limited edition of New Haven, Boston, Cornell & Buffalo is fine if you don't mind spending about $500.

A little later on today

5 27 93

7/5/78 Omaha, NE

July '78 box is pure gold

12/12/94

Sweet Birdsong jam…

And now, Shaking on down with 12/15/94.

And finish with 12/16/94

10/19/73 Oklahoma City

DiP 19, Disc 3. - Given that much of my listening is on/through my desktop I finally treated myself to a iFi ZenDAC3 headphone amp w/ iFi 5 volt external power supply. Just arrived and thought I'd take one of my favorite passages of all time for a spin. Headphones are Sennheiser HD650s. It is glorious.

Holly Bowling

Better Left Unsung - her first GD release.

So incredibly beautiful. Love love love her playing.

Didnt get to 5 27 93

Did get to 10 24 71 set one

SNOWDAY!!!

didn’t get a good listen yesterday to 12/16/94 but heard enough to fire up the second set again! Cool Branford gig!

Now onto 12/18…
Another nice second set!
And 12/19 was nice too. LA was a nice little run!

Edit: Yeah BC, I know you dig some 94, so check out the first night of Denver, I know the Auds not great, but it’s not too bad and the show I felt was worth it…especially the PITB jam etc…
And definitely check out 12/16 with Brandford!

I’ve now hit every 94 from 6/8 onward. Didn’t mean too. Started just wanting to check out summer tour and my 30th anniversary shows, but enjoyed them so much I kept going. Really dug the fall tour!

Prolly freak freely, or hit 52 and some other 83 mañana, then onto E90!
Onward!

Dbl Edit: 10/19/73…sigh, don’t know what it is about THAT one lol
So majestic.
Ain’t it crazy how much a little DAC can do!

Snow Day??!!

Lucky you! That system missed us here in the high desert.

Didn't know about that December show with Branford. Will have to check it out. Tried one of the McNichols shows but had a hard time getting past the audience pulls - they all seemed very distant.

Right now listening to Phil Lesh and Friends - Highlights Vol. 1 - And Love Will See You Through.

sequestered doing paperwork

Nazareth: Loud and Proud

ironically, played at a very low volume due to being close to others

5-22-77% vinyl DP3

Received today, spinning now.

the fire aisle...

...?

march 22 1973
in utica ny
at utica memorial auditorium
capacity of 5,700

can ya imagine that?

PEACE for ALL!
uncle_tripel

Back again !

I've been missing from the Dead forums for a while now !! Here again !!

Not Fade Away--from 'The Closing of Winterland' CD box set.

Grate version of an overlooked song is suppose. Randomly picked it!... This version of Not Fade Away is different from many others, IMO. Harmonica for one, is not that common.

WTH, why wait…

Cue War: “take a little trip…”

So onto Europe 90
Dug the fall tour so much, and with PFs enthusiastic enjoyment, figure I need to just Do It! So here we go, 10/13/90 it is…

Edit: Utica! Yeah Uncle it was a very small venue…front row Jerry for the rocking 3/13/81 show. Wish I remember more, but being young and dumb (some things never change, ahem) I bought a big bottle of 7/7 thinking all the heads could “stay warm” outside for the long GA wait to get in.
Well, lesson learned: cold tripping DH don’t normally drink much, at least before a show…well being in top Olympic form and 7/7 being the go go juice of choice for the band and road crew I was on, I just eventually quaffed her down mostly myself, which would have been fine if we didn’t later smoke sooooo many joints waiting on the floor….
All I’m gonna say bout that is seek Fat Freddie’s wisdom on that lol
But hey, I never left the front rail and ended up having a good show, and learned a valuable lesson that all 18 year olds should know lol
One and only show I ever got that kind of too wasted…
Good show if you’ve never checked it!

Dbl Edit: once again PF has me laughing: imagining him in middle of the teachers lounge correcting student gibberish, edibles, with cans on, cranking heavy metal or some atonal Dark Star while his unsuspecting cohort blather on about nothing LOL!
A true warrior!
Onward Brother!

10/17/90

the 13 was definitely off from the years previous shows, but I didn’t find it as bad as some have stated. I think DM in his GD bio said it was the worse show he saw? I’m betting set and setting had some influence. I know shows that at the time I thought in the experiential context were no bueno, years later, removed from the set and setting, and ensconced in the luxuries of home, I have not found any shows as bad, or sometimes as good as thought BITD…
Maybe that’s just me?

You can hear the 17 sounds more status quo of this fine year than the 13 fo sho…

Oro

Glad you are getting into Europe 90

13th is a warm up

Plenty of good stuff on the tour yes

Glad I could make you laugh
:)))

Onward, indeed

Currently

10 24 71

DARK STAR

and

it has a Cumberland

a BIG...

...lol...bottle of 7/7!

march 24 1973
aka daP 32
spectrum in phila

and
"it's gonna be the whole thing"

PEACE for ALL!
uncle_tripel

PS - just checked my treasure chest,
CD-R's of EU '90
10/19 - 10/20 - 10/22
will check them out this weekend

DaP 37 Filler

4-18-78 Pittsburgh.
The Scarlet > Dancing is suspenseful.
You just keep wondering when they are going to get to Fire and then they don't. And it's a wonderful journey getting there.
Cheers

10/19/90

Smmootthh…

8/12/87 Red Rocks

Set I closer - Bird Song > Music Never Stopped. And now Set II.

That run was a whole lot of fun!

Edit - and today I learned that Bowie was playing Mile High this night! WAT??!!

87 Red Rocks

The only time I made Red Rocks. My memories of the third show are the best. Wish the recordings were better. Wish my memory was better. I think me and my girlfriend at the time were having some difficulties this week which sort of got in the way of the shows. Too bad, but we had been away for a month by this point and sleep came at a premium. Still a good time and there was a lot of magic seeing the GD at the Rocks.